Cagliari-Naples 0-4
NETWORKS: 18′ pt Di Lorenzo, 21′ st Kvaratskhelia, 26′ st Lukaku, 48′ st Good morning.
CAGLIARI (3-5-2): Scuffet 4.5; Zappa 5.5, Mina 6, Luperto 6; Azzi 6 (14′ st Zortea 6), Deiola 5.5 (1′ st Adopo 6), Marin 5.5 (33′ st Makoumbou sv), Gaetano 6 (14′ st Kingstone 5.5), Augello 6; Luvumbo 5.5, Piccoli 5.5 (33′ st Pavoletti sv). On the bench: Ciocci, Sherri, Lapadula, Viola, Jankto, Wieteska, Palomino, Obert, Felici. Coach: Nicola 5.5
NAPLES (3-4-2-1): Meret 7.5; Di Lorenzo 6.5, Rrahmani 6.5, Buongiorno 7.5; Mazzocchi 5.5, Anguissa 6.5, Lobotka 6.5 (29′ st Gilmour 6), Spinazzola 6.5 (19′ st Olivera 6); Politano 6.5 (36′ st Neres 6.5), Kvaratskhelia 7 (29′ st McTominay 6); Lukaku 7.5 (29′ st Simeone 6). On the bench: Contini, Caprile, Juan Jesus, Marin, Zerbin, Ngonge, Raspadori, Folorunsho. Coach: Conte 7
REFEREE: The Pen of Rome 6.5
NOTE: Clear afternoon, pitch in good condition. Some disturbances in the 27th minute of the first half due to the throwing of some smoke bombs and explosives on the pitch, with stewards and police securing the away sector occupied by about four hundred Napoli fans. Yellow cards: Mina, Lobotka, Lukaku. Corners: 8-3. Injury time: 8′ pt, 3′ st.
Convincing victory for Napoliwho, not without suffering, beat Cagliari 4-0 and scored their third consecutive victory. The decisive goals for Conte’s team were those scored by By Lorenzo in the first half and by Kvaratskhelia, Lukaku and Buongiorno in the second half. Very balanced start to the match, with the Sardinian team attacking high up a Napoli that often relies on Lukaku to move forward. It is the Belgian, in the 18th minute, who serves the ball on the edge of the area for Di Lorenzo’s shot that, deflected by Mina, slips in behind Scuffet. The Azzurri take the lead, to which Cagliari reacts immediately, with a long-range shot by Azzi that is however defused by Meret. A lively match but play that around the 27th minute is interrupted by the referee – until the 32nd minute – due to some disturbances between the two sets of fans, with the intervention of stewards and police to secure the approximately four hundred Napoli fans present in the away section. The action resumes on the pitch and does so with an opportunity for Cagliari, with Piccoli’s header coming from a corner, but Meret still prevents the goal.
Maxi recovery and interval that put an end to a good first half, with the result still in the balance. At the start of the second half, a good opportunity for Cagliari, with Luperto who tests Meret with his header and Luvumbo who fails to hit the target on the rebound. Napoli’s goalkeeper is also the protagonist on the next Sardinian chance, in the 56th minute, with the save on a dangerous long-range shot by Marin. The Azzurri are crushed by an intense Cagliari, but in the 66th minute, on the counterattack, it is Conte’s team that doubles the lead: good initiative by Lukaku who serves Kvaratskhelia in depth, who does well with his tip to slip it past Scuffet. Not even five minutes later, Napoli will also find the third goal, this time with Lukaku decisive in front of goal in taking advantage of Kvaratskhelia’s assist on a mistake in Scuffet’s build-up. Neapolitan management that freezes the result until the third and final minute of injury time, when Buongiorno heads in a corner from Neres and once again beats Cagliari for the final 4-0 of Unipol Domus. And Conte is already first, after Inter’s draw with Monza.